Once upon a time
by Fangs of Lightning
Summary: The Warrior of Light finds a book sitting on cosmos's empty throne. On the first page was the line "Once upon a time". The story that Cosmos wanted them to write would be nothing like what she was expecting. Especially since the star happened to be one of Chaos's most annoying warriors. AU, for the most part.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 1

_A book sat on Cosmos's empty throne. It was the kind of tome you'd find in an old library, thick and old. The Warrior of Light, upon seeing it, took a sharp intake of breath. He reached out and slowly turned the cover. On the first page of the book was half a sentence, written by Cosmos._

Once upon a time

_The Warrior of Light blinked a few times. Noticing a pencil beside the book on the throne, he picked it up. A few moments passed and he leaned over the book._

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful queen. Her life had been peaceful and happy for many years. She had quite forgotten about an old promise she had made. One which was the reason she had that title in the first place. When the gods blessed her with a child, she was reminded of it. Terra, the half-esper, had helped her impress the king to save her life. In return, she had promised her firstborn to the young woman. The queen could only pray that the other had forgotten.

Unfortunately, she had not. The queen tried to convince her otherwise when Terra came for her baby. But the half-esper wouldn't hear it. The queen had a choice; she could either hand over her child, or doom her kingdom. In the queen's eyes, she had no choice. She gave up her baby to save her kingdom. Terra spirited the newborn away to a manor deep in an enchanted forest. She named the young ex-prince Mateus.

_"What are you writing?" Cecil asked. He came to stand to the warrior's left. _

_"Cosmos left a book here. I believe she wants us to write the story." Cecil took the book and read what had already been written. _

_"Can I add to it?" _

_The Warrior of Light handed him the pencil. Cecil sat on the ground and began writing._

The years passed and though Terra didn't age, Mateus grew into a fine young man. He got most of what he desired, as Terra felt the need to spoil him as though he were her own. By his twenty-second year, all he really wanted was to leave the manor. Terra had done well keeping him there, but he longed to see the outside world through more than just his window.

One afternoon in late summer found him staring out the window in his room. He had been doing it more and more recently.

"Staring out the window again?"

Mateus turned at the sound of Terra's voice behind him. He gave her a weak smile, hoping that was enough of a greeting. A frown replaced Terra's smile and she went over to him.

"What's wrong?"

"I- Why am I not allowed to leave the manor?" Mateus met her gaze with his own. Terra gently laid a hand on his cheek.

"The world is a dangerous place, Mateus. Especially for someone like you."

"But you've been teaching me magic. Surely that-"

"Mateus." He fell silent at the stern tone of her voice. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Just promise me one thing. If you get into too much trouble, you come home. I don't want anything to happen to you out there."

"I will, mother."

Mateus pulled Terra into a hug. She dissipated the magic barrier that kept him inside. He paused in the doorway and took a deep breath. After all he had heard of the outer world, Mateus was a little hesitant about actually leaving. He turned, gave Terra one last smile, and left.

But he wasn't the only one waiting for that moment.

A safe distance from the manor, two typical bandit thugs were watching through binoculars. The moment the barrier dissipated, one of them radioed their leader.

"Barrier's down. Orders?"

"Wait till the brat's outta the grounds," a gruff voice said over the radio. "Once he's in the forest, grab 'im. Just don't let the witch see ya do it."

The bandit thugs nodded, though their boss couldn't see them. It only took Mateus a few minutes to reach a suitable location. Without hesitation or warning, they jumped out and knocked him unconscious. With him unable to make a fuss, they carried him to their hideout.

_"There," Cecil said. He proudly leaned back. The Warrior of Light read what he had written and smiled. "Now what?"_

_"Now we put it someplace the others can find it. That way, they can add to it as well."_

_The Warrior of Light and Cecil set out to find a place to put the book. After a while, they decided to put it on a small altar in the main hall. The pencil was lying next to it. The Warrior of Light hung a sign above the altar so that everyone would know what to do with it. _


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 2

The ex-prince's stay with the bandits was not entirely pleasant, but was cut short. He had been with them all of one-and-a-half days when their hideout came under attack. The scouting party for that day came back shortly after lunch. At first, the bandits thought there was nothing wrong with their comrades. They found out how wrong they were when the others made them their lunch. Somewhere on their patrols, they had been turned into horrible, flesh-eating zombies. In the chaos caused by the zombified bandit's lunch, a young thief from the desert slipped into the hideout.

_"What the hell, Bartz. Zombies? You should've gone with flesh-eating plants," Zidane said once he had read Bartz's writing. _

_"That's not any better, Zidane."_

The young desert thief went with his instincts. He made his way to the depths of the hideout avoiding zombies, traps, and tempting treasures along the way. When he finally reached the basement, he found himself standing in an empty room. He just knew his prize was on the other side of the room, beyond the door. He was halfway across the room when the warm air became freezing. Ice covered the door he was walking toward. The thief knew he'd have to fight. He drew his sword and turned, prepared for battle.

A gorgeous woman came down to stand a few feet from him. Her hair was blue, her skin a few shades lighter. She was clad in frosty lingerie, with an impressive form to match. Unfortunately, her advantage was lost on the young thief. He was gay as ice was cold. Without warning, she attacked.

The battle was lengthy and the thief began worrying that he was running out of time. He ran straight at the woman, dodging the ice she threw at him. Once close enough, he ran her through with his sword. There was the sound of ice cracking and she exploded. With the guardian defeated, the ice melted away.

His mission in mind, the thief went over to the door. He ignored his wounds and opened it. Mateus turned when he heard the door swing open.

"I'm here to get you out," the thief said. He entered the rom and took Mateus's hand. "Come with me. We don't have much time."

Mateus refused to budge.

"Who are you and what's going on?"

"Vaan. You are Mateus, correct?" Mateus nodded. "Then I'm here to get you out. The place is full of zombies, so we need to be careful."

The two made their way out of the hideout. Night fell sooner than expected and they were forced to make camp in some old ruins.

_"What?! I am not- Damn you Zidane. Well fine. Two can play at this game."_

They made it to town around lunch the next day. Vaan wanted to hurry to the Lord's Manor, but there was a festival in town. He couldn't resist the temptation too long, and Mateus's excitement didn't help. The men who hired him weren't exacty going to let Mateus do anything fun, so Vaan decided to bring him for a few hours at the least. The town was full of excitement and wonder. The circus was in the park, and nearly everyone had the day off. Mateus seemed happy, as though he had never been to one before. Soon, it had rubbed off on Vaan and he found himself having more fun than he had in a while.

"So, what do you like to do in your free time?" Vaan asked Mateus.

"Ah, I didn't have much to do. When mother wasn't teaching me magic, I was in the library."

"So you've never been to a festival before." It wasn't a question- it was a fact. Mateus seemed embarassed about it.

"You can't help it if you've been locked up inside a manor all your life."

"How did you-"

A beautiful young woman ran over to the two. She was short, blond, and excited.

"Excuse me," she said. "Are you Mateus, by any chance?"

Vann stared at the woman. Something about her seemed off. Mateus didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, I am." Mateus sounded a little unsure.

"Wonderful." She clapped her hands as she spoke. "There's someone who would like to have a word with you."

Without another word, she began pulling Mateus off. Vaan followed, knowing he shouldn't let Mateus out of his sight. Zidane brought them to a temple.

Inside, there was a man who looked like he was praying to the statue. The young woman ran over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Firion, I found them."

"Thank you Zidane," Firion said.

He stood and turned to look at Mateus and Vaan.

"So you're Mateus." Mateus nodded. If he was confused, it didn't show. "I was wondering when you'd be let out of that manor. There's something that you must be told."

_Vaan moved away from the bok and set the pencil down. He had a grin on his face as he walked away._


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 3

"Yesterday, as I was praying for- never mind. Cosmos spoke to me yesterday. She told me to find you so that I could give you a warning." Firion looked between the two. "Every few centuries, a child will be born with magical abilities far surpassing those of the average mage. Their powers are said to be enough to conquer both heaven and hell. You are this mage. People will be looking for you, Mateus. You must not allow them to use your pwers for their own gain. If they achieve in their goal, this planet is done for."

_"What the hell? Why him of all people?" Tidus asked. Cecil shrugged._

_"We needed some kind of interesting plot. It was either that or make him father a god, once he found the woman with the right potential."_

_Tidus stared at the paladin._

_"What kind of choices are those? How did you even get them?"_

_"They could work. Trust me."_

_Tidus made a noise of discontent and turned his attention to the book. He tapped the pencil on his lower lip a few times before finally adding._

Mateus smiled. He liked the idea of having those powers within his body. Vaan looked at him and frowned. Firion gave Mateus a pleading look.

"Don't use them, please. As someone who lives in this world, you must understand." The young priest had his hands clasped over his heart.

"I think we should be going now," Vaan said. He started pulling on Mateus's arm.

Firion stared after them as Mateus was lead out of the temple. Mateus couldn't help but think there was more Firion could've told him.

"Why did we need to leave so suddenly?" he asked Vaan.

"We just did. Enough time has been wasted. My employers are probably wondering where we are."

"And how do I know your employers aren't the exact people that Firion warned me about?" Mateus yanked his hand from Vaan.

"You don't." Mateus turned to leave. Vaan grabbed his arm. "Look. I don't know what kind of people they are either. They gave me the job and I took it. Would you just come with me?"

Mateus looked at the young thief. He shook his head.

"I can't."

"If not there, then where willl you go? Surely not back to that manor."

"Why wouldn't I? I may have wanted to leave, but if this is how the world is going to work, then-"

Mateus was cut off by Vaan's hand meeting his cheek.

"It's one thing to not be able to leave the manor. But it's another entirely if you go back and stay of your own will." Vaan was glaring up into Mateus's eyes. "You can't hide from life, Mateus."

Mateus stared at the younger in disbelief.

"You just..."

"You were being an idiot. Now, come on. I need you to get your ass in that mansion."

Just as they were passing through town square, Vaan saw what remained of the bandits. Luckily, they had no idea of the part he had played in the attack. However, they would recognize Mateus. He grabbed the other and pulled him into the nearest store.

"Now what are you doing?" Mateus sounded exasperated.

"You want to return to the bandits?" Mateus shot him a look. "Didn't think so. I've got you covered. Just trust me."

Mateus found himself distracted by all the clothes in the store he had been dragged into. With a smile, he set off to see if anything piqued his interest. Vaan watched as the bandits looked around the area and wandered off. He turned only to find that Mateus was missing.

Mateus was near the back of the store, staring at the clothes hanging on the wall. A woman came up to him, a smile on her face. She had purple hair and eyes.

"Looking for anything in particular?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Just looking around."

"That's where you got off to!" Vaan yelled.

Mateus and the young woman both turned to look at him. He had a frown on his face, which Mateus decided didn't suit him all that well.

"I was bored, and-"

"You could've gotten kidnapped again. What is wrong with you?"

"The same thing you've been more than happy to remind me of," Mateus spat back bitterly. "I was raised in a manor my whole life. I know nothing of what the rest of the world holds, save what I could see from my bedroom window. So forgive me if I found myself interested in something."

Mateus turned and stalked away. Vaan gave an irritated sigh and went after him.

"Where do you think you're going now?"

Mateus pretended not to hear him.

"I'm speaking to you, _Your Majesty_." Vaan's tone was mocking. Mateus spun around and stopped him with a glare.

"I didn't leave my manor to get locked away in someone else's. I'd ike to savor my freedom, if you don't mind. So leave me alone."

Mateus walked off again, continuing to pointedly ignore Vaan. The thief saw nothing he could do but follow the other man.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 4

"There's really nowhere for you to go," Vaan called after Mateus. They were walking through the town, in the direction of the exit.

"I'm sure I can find someplace to go." The response was thrown over his shoulder.

With an exasperated sigh, Vaan threw his hands up in defeat.

"Fine. I won't turn you in. Just get back here, would you? I went to all the trouble of getting you, you could at least-"

"All right." Mateus turned and looked down his nose at Vaan. "You can come with me."

Vaan stared at the other man.

"You've never been out of your manor before today. What gives you the right to be so arrogant?"

As Mateus went to reply, he found himself swept off his feet by a man swinging through the street. Where the rope came from or how it was staying wherever it was was a complete mystery to all involved. Mateus glared up at his captor. The man had long silver hair and a murderous intent about him. Nervousness possessed Mateus and he opted to remain as still as possible.

"Hey! That's mine! Find your own!" Vaan yelled at the man.

The man landed on a rooftop and turned to look at Vaan.

"I am helping him discover his true destiny," he said. "If I were you, I'd scamper off like the mouse you are."

Mateus looked between the two as they began arguing. Despite the man's tight grasp, Mateus attempted to move away. That only made the grip tighten.

"I am not a thing to be tossed around from person to person!" he yelled. "Let go of me, now!"

The man turned and slapped Mateus.

"You will not give me an order," he snarled.

Mateus stared at him, complete shock on his face. A bright red handprint made its existence known, the shock wearing off even slower. The man seemed content with the reaction and looked back at Vaan. With a cocky smirk, he lifted Mateus. A single huge black wing burst from the right side of his back. He turned and took flight as Vaan helplessly glared after him.

-Back at the manor-

"I should've known not to give him to you!" Kefka screamed. "Now you've lost him!"

"I didn't lose him," Terra said. "I couldn't bring myself to keep him here any longer."

"So you let him lose?" Kefka began laughing. "You should've just sent him to me."

"You would've hurt him!" Terra's protest was out of her mouth before she could think about what she was saying.

Kefka stared at her. Amusement danced in his eyes as a wide grin crossed his face.

"And why would that matter?"

"I've raised him since he was a baby." Terra's gaze shifted to the floor. "I... I've come to think of him as my own."

Kefka sighed and shook his head. Something had warned him against putting her in charge of the brat's care. Needless to say, he now wished he had listened to that little voice. Terra was a woman, half-esper or not.

"I knew I should've raised him myself. We're going to go look for him." Terra followed him when he went to the door. "He's too important for us not to know where he is."

The two left the manor.

-In the city-

Vaan paced from one side of his room to the other. After returning to the manor empty handed, he had gotten to see Ultimecia angry for the first time. Her voice had barely raised, though the tone had been dripping with anger and the promise to kill someone. Luckily, he had been deemed too important to be killed. Instead, he was now in charge of finding the now-once-again-kidnapped Mateus. Problem was, he had no idea where to start looking. The man who had taken his charge was a stranger to him. Whether he was hired, or n his own was the first thing Vaan had tried to find out. Unfortunately, nobody could tell him anything. Now, Ultimecia was even angrier with him, and he was scheduled to leave early the next morning. With a sigh, Vaan flopped down onto his bed.

'I'm a thief, not meant for these kinds of jobs,' he thought. 'At least I know what he looks like. Maybe that girl could help me. What was her name...?_' _Vaan rolled onto his side and frowned at the wall. 'Zidane! That was her name!' It was too late by then, so Vaan decided to wait until morning to go looking.

_"How long am I going to be a woman?" Zidane asked. His tail was swishing in angry strokes. Tidus watched it with rapt fascination. A small pout adorned his face and Cloud couldn't stop the smirk. _

_"I'm just going by what was written," he said. "Vaan doesn't know you're male yet."_

_"Dammit, come on. Would someone fix my reputation?" Zidane yelled to the others in the room. He yelped when a hand gripped his tail. _


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 5

Vaan woke early the next morning. He stretched and pulled himself out of bed before getting dressed. It was a typical day's start in the life of Vaan, save for the fact that he was going to go out looking for a woman. Without bothering to notify Ultimecia, he left the manor and set off down the hill toward town. Immediately upon entering the city, he set a straight path for the temple.

When he got there nearly half an hour later, he found Firion praying again.

"Hey, Zidane here?" Vaan asked. Firion shook his head. "All right then. Any place you know I could find her?"

Firion smiled. "She's usually at the market."

Vaan waved his hand as he turned and left the temple. Firion got back to praying with an amused expression on his face. Vaan wandered around the market for nearly an hour. Finding no sign of her, he was prepared to give up and look for Mateus on his own. Vaan sat on a bench and thought about what to do. Just then, a young man with blond hair pulled into a low ponytail and a tail walked by.

"Excuse me," he said. The short young man turned toward him. "I'm looking for a young lady. She's around your height, blond, blue eyes... Her name's Zidane. You seen her?"

"What do you want with Zidane?" he asked.

"I'm looking for someone, and I was hoping she could help me."

The man looked thoughtful, tail swishing from side to side. After a few moments of careful consideration, he held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Vaan, right?" Vaan shook his hand as he nodded. "So, who're you looking for?"

"Mateus. He got taken yesterday and-"

"Who took him?"

"Dunno," Vaan shrugged. "A man. Tall, with long silver hair-"

"Black clothes?" Vaan nodded. Zidane smiled. "I know exactly where he is."

-In another town-

Mateus was ungraciously dumped on the ground before an old wooden door. As he stood, scowling, his captor threw open the door.

"Finally! A voice from inside the house yelled. "It's about time you got home."

The voice continued talking as Mateus was pulled to his feet and pushed through the doorway. He looked around as the other man came in behind him. It was a decent sized place, he supposed. Photos and bookshelves lined the walls. A fireplace stood to one side, with a fire burning in it. Mateus was pushed onto the couch and found himself looking at a table full of papers and books.

"I'm glad you're home, Sephiroth. What kept- Who is that?"

A man with short, spiked blond hair stood in the doorway. He was staring at Mateus with a neutral expression, though his voice had been full of anger.

"I ran into a dilemma on my way home," Sephiroth said. "Cecil asked me to look for-"

"Since when do you get along with Cecil?"

"Cloud..." Sephiroth held his hands up in front of himself. Cloud looked as though he was going to hit the taller man at any moment. "He asked me because he knew I could do it."

"Really?" Cloud had an eyebrow arched. Mateus got the feeling he didn't believe the other.

"Is anyone going to explain to me what is going on?" Mateus interrupted their argument. He didn't like being dragged around like this- not a thing actually explained, by people he'd never met before.

"I didn't ask," Sephiroth said. "I just know Cecil wanted you for something." He gave Cloud a kiss before leaving the room. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

Cloud looked at Mateus. Mateus shifted a bit uncomfortably under the other's gaze.

"You hungry?" he asked.

Mateus was about to respond when a humiliating thing happened. A growl came from his stomach as it made its opinion known. Mateus's face flushed and he looked away from the blond. Cloud smiled and left the room. Mateus sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. He had no idea where he was- or where he'd go, for that matter.

_"Why am I living with Sephiroth?" Cloud asked. His blue eyes held a hint of anger as he stared at Squall. The other merely shrugged. _

_Bartz smiled at the both of them. _

_"I think it's fine," he said. Everyone in the room stared at him. _

_Laguna approached the book and lifted the pencil. Vaan watched him with interest._

It was a few hours before anything happened. The sun had set, Sephiroth had gotten his plans in order, and Cloud had kicked him out of their room to find another place to sleep. Mateus stared at the grumbling soldier. As he went to say something, there was a great rumbling from outside. The sound of bombs falling from the sky and explosions could be heard across the town. Cloud ran into the room wearing chocobo-print pajamas. Before Mateus was quite sure what was happening, Sephiroth had grabbed him and ran out the door.

"Is this really the best idea?" Mateus yelled. He'd never been in a situation like this before, but he was pretty sure you weren't supposed to go into the street.

"We'll be fine," Cloud said.

Mateus doubted him, but together they all made it out of town without getting blown to pieces. The area was flattened behind them as they made their way toward the mountains.

"It seems they've chosen war," Cloud said. Sephiroth nodded in agreement.

"Who's chosen war?" Mateus asked.

"Chaos. He and Cosmos have been at odds for years," Cloud explained. "They each control half the world. Chaos had been planning on taking Cosmos's half for himself for a while now... If the rumors are to be believed."

"Right." Mateus nodded. "What does that have to do with me?"

"There was a prophecy twenty-two years ago-" Cloud began.

"First, we need to get him to Cecil," Sephiroth said. "Once there, everything will be explained."


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 6

_"Where exactly is this story going?" the Onion Knight asked._

_"Wherever it ends up." The Warrior of Light shrugged._

Vaan and Zidane looked out over the levelled town. Both had a look of disbelief, which quickly changed to worry.

"You're sure this is the place?" Vaan asked.

"No... This place had the best doughnut shop in the kingdom!" Zidane yelled.

"Seriously?" Vaan couldn't believe what he had heard. "I was talking about Mateus. You said the guy who took him would have brought him here."

"Oh. That's right. Well, I'm sure Mateus is fine. We just need to go to Baron. It's the closest town. Someone's bound to know something."

Vaan nodded. He just hoped nobody else had taken the blond. The two set off, Zidane in the lead.

-Baron-

"Could you stop picking me up? I can walk!" Mateus yelled.

"I had to make sure you weren't going to to run away," Sephiroth explained as he set him down.

Cloud's motorcycle came to a stop next to them. He lifted his motorcycle goggles off his face and stared into the city.

"I've never liked this place," he said.

"Because Cecil's here?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud gave him a death glare. "He's not that bad."

"It's not Cecil. I just don't like this town."

Sephiroth pulled Mateus along behind him, ignoring Cloud's minor protests. Mateus tried to pull his hand out from the other man's grasp, but to no avail. Cloud opted to stay at the edge of town rather than follow the other two.

"Unhand me!" Mateus commanded. "What is wrong with you people? I'm a human being, not an item to be dragged wherever you happen to want it."

Sephiroth turned to say something to him, but was cut off when a great sword flew between the two. Sephiroth backed away, releasing Mateus's hand.

"Hand 'im over," a gruff voice said. Mateus looked in the direction it came from. Standing there was a tanned. muscular man who seemed to have something against shirts and shoes. A large 'J' was tattooed onto his torso.

"Jecht... What do you want him for?"

Mateus stared between the two of them. He couldn't believe it. He'd only been out of the manor a few days, and had already been dragged around and fought over by people he didn't know. Part of him wanted his mother back.

"Don't need 'im," Jecht said. "But I know someone who does."

Sephiroth drew his katana, staring at Jecht.

"Whoever wins gets to keep him," he said.

Jecht grinned. Mateus stomped between the two of them, frowning.

"I will decide who I go with."

"No you won't. Get behind me," Sephiroth said.

Mateus tried to hold in his anger. It wasn't proper, Mother had taught him. You never lose your temper in public. Calmly, Mateus stepped to the side. The two men charged each other as Mateus sat in an invisible chair. He crossed his legs and relaxed. By the personalities clashing before him, he figured they were going to be here a while. Cloud, who had decided it would be better to just come inside than hang around out there, came up behind him.

"In town no longer than twenty minutes and he's already picked a fight?" He shook his head, trying to remember what he ever found attractive about the general.

"The brute picked the fight. Sephiroth merely rose to the occasion," Mateus stated.

A hand touched his arm, and Mateus turned. Cloud gave him a slight smile, tilting his head to the side. Mateus understood. He stood and followed Cloud farther into town. They walked like that until they came to a plaza with a fountain in it. North was a straight road to the manor. Cloud gestured to it.

"Cecil lives up there, if you wish to see him," he said. "If not, the temple's west of here."

Mateus nodded his thanks and Cloud left, hoisting the Buster Sword onto his shoulder. Mateus couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for the general. Turning, Mateus looked to the manor. People walking by stared at him, as though it was strange to see someone staring in that direction. Turning, he set off to the west.

The temple wasn't that hard to find. It was the biggest building in the West District. A few monks and priests were in the main hall when Mateus opened the door. None of them spared him a glance, which brought a smile to his face. Stained glass depicted a beautiful woman in a flowing white gown.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" A young priest had come to stand next to Mateus. He looked over at him. The young priest smiled at him. "Were you looking for anyone in particular?"

"Does anyone here know of a prophecy that had been told twenty-two years ago? I need to know what it said."

The priest stared at him before realization crossed his features.

"I presume you are Mateus?" The shock must've been evident on his face, "Don't look so shocked. We're priests. We know all about you."

Mateus started backing away from the priest. He merely stood there, an amused smile on his face.

"We won't hurt you. You said you wanted answers, correct? Come this way."

The priest turned and began walking before Mateus could respond. With no other choice, Mateus set off after the priest. They climbed a few staircases and went down too many corridors to keep track of before finally stopping. The priest knocked on the door and motioned for Mateus to stay put. He went into the room and Mateus looked around. The door was plain wood, set into a plain stone wall. Nothing interesting. The door opened a few minutes later. The priest from before motioned for Mateus to come in, which the blond man gratefully did. Sitting in a seat by the window was an old man. He turned to inspect Mateus the moment he stopped in the room.

"So, you're Mateus," he began. "We've been waiting for you. You have a duty. As you might know, war has begun. Chaos and Cosmos are finally at odds, and all of humanity is going to be caught in the middle. Due to the powers you were born with, you must choose which side is going to win the war." Mateus couldn't believe it. The power to decide something like that- and he was never told a word of it. "Others have tried to use you, have they not? You have both the powers of harmony and discord running through you. in another realm, you were once a mighty emperor who controlled both heaven and hell. That is one of the traits you retained over your journey here."

"Why can't I just take the world for my own?"

The old man shook his head saying, "It just isn't done. Not in this realm. Power doesn't matter. Humanity as a whole will always be a pawn of the gods. We do as they command, without question. You have been given this duty, and must do as commanded."

"All my life, I've been doing as I was told," Mateus said. "When mother told me to do something, I did it without question. I finally got my freedom, and now you're telling me that my fate is already decided?" Mateus turned and went to the door. Taking a deep breath he turned. "Thank you for your assistance. I shall take my leave now."

He turned and went down the hallway. Confidence led him through the temple until he found himself once again in the main hall. The doors flew open and in ran Vaan and the woman they had met. Vaan smiled and ran over to him.

"You're safe," he said. The woman came over as well, smiling. "This is Zidane, she's actually a man."

Mateus shook Zidane's hand, not sure if he wanted to know why he had been dressed as a woman in the first place. Zidane turned and whistled, his long yellow tail swishing.

"I love goddesses," he said. "There's just something attractive about them."

"Learn anything interesting?"

"Only that gods enjoy controlling people's lives," Mateus said. He explained it to Vaan once they had sat on one of the pews.

"Wow. You're pretty important then, huh." Vaan looked impressed. Mateus felt himself grow a bit happier. "So, which one are you going to help?"

"Neither. I refuse to do as commanded. I was an emperor in a past life, I can become an emperor again."

Zidane stood, a smile on his face.

"What's next Your Majesty?" he asked. Vaan stared at him.

"I thought you would only help me until I found him."

"Adventure's always good. If I can find treasure with you guys, even better!"

"You do realize that we'll be against nearly every army in the world, both of the gods, and whoever else decides to join in, right?"

"Of course," Zidane grinned. "It'll be fun. Besides, if our damsel here gets kidnapped again, it'll be easier with two people."

"I am not a-" Mateus began protesting.

"He is sort of a damsel, isn't he? I can barely look away for a minute without him getting into some sort of trouble," Vaan mused. "All right, you're in. Two thieves are better than one, anyway."

They shook on it, and their group was formed.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 7

The trio left town the next day. Mateus had no idea where to go. Maps did no good, since he knew nothing about the place. Zidane and Vaan were barely any good either, as both of them had pissed off one town or another. As a result, they stayed out of town for the most part, and went camping instead. The thieves knew what they were doing, so Mateus tried to not interfere.

"Your Majesty," Zidane started, "I was thinking that we should go to Cornelia. Both of the gods came from there, so it could help you."

"All right. How long would it take us to get there?"

"A few days," Zidane shrugged. "It's the next biggest town. None of us are in any trouble there, so it won't be too difficult."

"All right. We'll go to Cornelia."

_"Why am I still with him?" Vaan complained. "Couldn't I just find someone else to look after him? I thought I was just giving him to someone."_

_"It's not that bad," Yuna said. "You could be falling in love with him." _

_Vaan groaned, leaving the room. Yuna giggled and picked up the pencil._

They arrived in Cornelia a few days later. The three of them quickly found a place to spend the night, renting three rooms at the inn. Zidane had produced the money from one of his pockets, and Mateus hadn't bothered to ask where he had gotten it. With that settled and out of the way, the three made their way to the temple. Cosmos was the only god depicted, though one could see where the priests had removed Chaos from the room. The head priest looked up from his prayers as they approached.

"What brings you to our temple?" he asked.

"Actually, we were hoping to learn more about the gods. We heard this is where they originated," Zidane explained. The head priest smiled.

"Yes, the gods are from here. Please, take a seat." The old priest motioned to the pews. The trio sat down and waited for him to continue. "It was long, long ago before people were civilized. They were born into a small village in this area. The two of them had been born with mysterious powers which had never ben seen before. Between them, nearly all the world could be manipulated. Cosmos brought peace and harmony with her everywhere she went. Chaos brought war and discord. They grew together, until they at last came to be married. As time passed, their powers grew. One day, shining crystals came down from the sky. The moment they touched the couple, the crystals fused with their bodies and made them gods. As time passed, their powers grew stronger and stronger. Mankind was in turmoil as the two powers clashed. War and death was everywhere, innnocent people following Cosmos slaughtered every day for trying to create peace. It was a dark time for mankind. Eventually, the gods decided it would be better if they weren't together. They said their farewells and departed for the spiritual world. Pandaemonium is the link between our world and theirs, marking the place where they left our world. Not many people can get to Pandaemonium, fewer still can stand at the top and speak to the gods."

"So, where is Pandaemonium?" Mateus asked. The old priest shrugged.

"Supposedly, it's in a vast mountain range to the west of Palamecia. The royal family keeps the path safe, so only those who gain their favor can go. It shouldn't be too hard for you, you are the heir."

"Excuse me?" Mateus said. "I wasn't born in Palamecia. I was born in a village, to parents who didn't want me. They left me in the care of the Esper-Witch."

"So she never told you. Understandable, I suppose. She did raise you."

"How much do you- We're leaving." Mateus stood, Zidane and Vaan following soon after.

"You can't escape your fate," the old priest called after him. "The gods have chosen you. No one can deny the gods."

The door slammed shut, cutting off any farther ranting from the old man. Mateus leaned against it a few moments before setting off once again.

"So, we going?" Vaan asked. "Look, don't get all upset over it. She took care of you, didn't she?"

A laugh echoed across the area.

"Going somewhere?" A man dressed like some kind of clown was standing at the foot of the stairs. Next to him was Terra.

"Mateus!" Terra ran up the stairs and threw her arms around him. "Thank goodness you're safe." Terra buried her face in his shoulder, tears of relief and happiness streaming down her face. Mateus couldn't find it in him to push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Am I really royalty?" he asked. She nodded, pulling away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I meant to, Mateus," she said. Her eyes were still full of tears as she looked up at him. "I thought for sure if I told you... You'd want to leave. I raised you since you were a baby. Over the years, I came to think of you as my own. I just couldn't bear the thought of you coming to hate me."

Mateus kissed Terra on the top of the head.

"I could never hate you. You're my mother."

"Oh, how sweet," Kefka said. His tone was mocking. "Yuck! I'll never understand the need for these heart-to-heart moments. They're useless, if you ask me."

"Well no one's asking, you creepy clown," Vaan said.

"Stay safe," Terra said. Going onto her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Let's leave him alone, Kefka. You can still get what you want." Kefka looked as though he didn't believe her. "If we let him go on his own, he's bound to do what you were expecting of him." Kefka looked between the two and sighed.

"He means that much to you, huh." His tone implied that he was bored. "Fine. But he better not take too long."

Kefka turned to leave, Terra following behind him. She gave Mateus one last smile before vanishing into the crowd.

_"Oh, that's so sweet," Tifa said. _

_"I didn't think you liked that kind of thing," Laguna said. _

_"I am a woman," she laughed. "Stuff like that's nice every once in a while."_

The threat of Kefka and Terra out of the way, the trio returned to the inn to finalize their plans.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 8

"So, we going to Palamecia or not?" Vaan asked.

Zidane and he had been trying to get a concrete answer out of Mateus for a while now. The prince simply lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. One arm had been flung off the edge of the bed, the other covering the upper part of his face. His companions were on the bed with him, staring down at him.

"What's the point? If we go now, they'll only trick him into doing whatever they want," Zidane said. "We need to think of something else."

"The priest," Mateus finally said. "He said something about crystals. Maybe they were left behind as well. As a link between mankind and the gods."

"Royal families?" Vaan suggested. "Mateus. Even if you're right, how are we going to ask about it? There's a war going on, and they won't want to deal with supernatural problems at a time like this."

"Supernatural problems started the whole thing," Mateus clarified. "If we explain that we could end the war at a sooner date, without sacrificing any more of their people, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to lend us a hand."

"Or we could ask around in town," Zidane said. "If any of the families have anything of that significance in their treasuries, someone's bound to know."

"The temples could have them as well, if they even exist." Mateus sat up. "We'll just have to talk to more of the priests. Go to bed. It's getting late."

Vaan and Zidane got off his bed, said their good nights, and left the room.

_"But, the temples could lie to you," Tidus said. "They should be somewhere unexpected." Yuna nodded her agreement._

The next morning found them entering the stores as soon as they opened. The group had been running out of Ethers and Potions, and had to restock. As they were shopping, Mateus asked the question that had been on his mind since last night.

"Do either of you know a temple with historical records? The priests could lie to us if we asked about something like the god's crystals."

"We could try Bevelle," Vaan said. "It's known to house historical records. 'Course, the public isn't allowed to see them. Something about the presence of the unworthy tainting the spiritual air in the lower temple."

"Well that's a load of bullshit," a voice said from behind them.

They turned to see a blond.

"Sorry. Couldn't help but overhear. Name's Tidus," he said. He had a smile on his face. "You need access to Bevelle's underground, right? I can help you there."

"How could you help?" Zidane asked. He took in Tidus's appearance. "You don't look like the religious type."

"I know someone who works there. She's married to Maester Seymour. If I ask, I'm sure she can help you."

"I say we trust the man," Zidane said. "He doesn't look smart enough to pull off an elaborate scheme."

"Even if our meeting was a little strange," Vaan said. "At least this way we can find what we're looking for."

Both looked to Mateus for the answer. He sighed.

"Well, we'll get closer to our goal," he said. Tidus smiled. Evidently, he was ecstatic to be helping.

"So... Could I stay with you guys? At least to Bevelle?" Tidus asked. "I don't really want to go on my own, and my dad's not about to help me. I can fight, I won't be dead weight." He had a small pout on his face, which Vaan could tell was working on Mateus. Either Zidane wasn't very good at reading people, or Tidus gave off the impression of being an idiot to throw people off.

"Fine. You can come with us," Mateus said. "Once we're done here, we leave for Bevelle."

_"Well, he's starting to be more like himself," Firion said. "Though, that might not be such a good thing..."_

_"Why wouldn't it be a good thing?" Mateus asked. He was standing right behind Firion. Firion turned to look at him, surprise written on his face. Mateus walked past him and picked up the book. Firion watched as he left the room with it. _

_When he was done reading it, he went to return it and found Bartz standing there, looking lost. He held the book out._

_"Continue it," he commanded. Bartz took the book from his hands. _

They left town twenty minutes later. Despite all his protesting, Tidus followed behind Mateus. He had the important job of ensuring that no one came over and grabbed His Royal Majesty when no one was looking. Vaan tried to keep Zidane from running to far away from the group, but to no avail. They figured it would take a few days to get to Bevelle, and Zidane was impatient.

A few days passed before anything of remote interest happened. Mateus walked with a frown on his face, as hehad been the past few days. He wasn't too pleased with everything; he would've preferred it if he could make his own decisions, rather than be limited to a select few. A few yards in front of them, a giant hole appeared. Coming out of the giant hole was some strange string that seemed to be reaching for the heavens. Zidane failed to notice this occurrence. He teetered on the edge a few moments and fell in. Worry evident on his mouse-face, Vaan ran to the edge. Zidane was laying on the ground about ten feet down. Complaints drifted up to Vaan as he stared.

"You okay?" he yelled down to the monkeyboy.

"No." The reply came after a few moments. Zidane started getting up, shaking a bit. "I think I landed on my tail."

Neither noticed the string, which had curved as though looking down at Zidane. After waving from side to side a few times, it shot down and grabbed the unsuspecting thief. Mateus and Tidus also ran over, though Mateus would forever insist that he hadn't been overly worried about his companion. The string waved Zidane in the air as the thief screamed. Trying to pull his knives out, he felt his arms get grabbed. Two strings had joined the first, and Zidane could see no way of getting out.

"Don't just stand there!" he yelled. "Help me!" He wriggled, though nothing he did loosened the grip the strings had on him.

Tidus was the first to react. He looked down the hole. The strings didn't seem to come out of the ground, they were just there.

"Well, cutting them won't help..," he muttered.

Mateus, on the other hand, had found a perfect solution. He went to the edge of the hole and gauged the distance between the strings and himself. With a nod, he summoned a Flare in his right hand. Vaan jumped on his arm, protesting.

"What are you doing? Even if you destroyed the strings, Zidane's going to be hurt!"

"He'll be fine," Mateus said. He looked down his nose at Vaan, who glared up at him. Still glaring, Vaan let go of his arm. The Flare floated across the gap and caught the strings. A shrill screeching echoed across the plains. Tidus and Vaan winced as Mateus simply stood there. The strings writhed as the flames rose higher, throwing Zidane from their grasp. Another scream joined those of the strings. Zidane went flying toward Tidus, who failed to get out of the way. They crashed to the ground and Vaan ran over.

"Are you all right?" he asked the two. Zidane sat up, straddling Tidus' thighs. Tidus's breaths came in gasps, but he nodded. Zidane grinned.

"Of course I'm all right," he said. "I'm more worried about Tidus."

"I'm all right." Tidus waved his hand in the air as he spoke. "He's not that heavy." Tidus got to his feet and stretched.

"See, he's fine," Mateus said. Vaan turned to stare at the prince. After a few moments, he sighed. Mateus was right. At least Zidane was all right. Mateus turned to leave. Confusion replaced arrogance as soon as he had done so.

The hole had vanished. The others noticed as well, but Tidus was the first to speak up.

"How does a hole like that just vanish?" he asked.

"Magic," Mateus said. "Someone must've placed it there." He looked around, but didn't see anyone or a place someone could've been hiding.

"In any case, it shouldn't take much longer for us to get to Bevelle," Tidus spoke up. "Unless our guide got us lost somewhere, we should see a huge ugly red complex of buildings in the next hour."

True to Tidus's words, they found it within the next hour. Everyone's first impression was to stare up at it. The group made their way into the city. It wasn't too hard for them to find the temple- it was the giant building at the heart of everything.


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 9

A pregnant young woman hurried out of the temple as they approached. Tidus caught her when she threw herself into his arms. A smile lit up her face and the others wondered how much Tidus meant to her.

"Yuna..." He laughed, hugging her close.

"Be careful, Yuna," a different voice said.

A tall robed young man was coming over, amusement sparkling in his blue eyes. He had light blue hair in the strangest style any of the group had ever seen; he had short hair falling to his shoulders, with longer hair styled in a fashion that resembled pigtails going down his back. Some hair fell in front of his face, though it didn't obscure any of it from view. The veins in his face were pronounced, though not in a bad way, and both sides of his exposed chest had the same black tattoo. He was an incredibly handsome man, save for the ugly robes.

"I will," Yuna promised. "Besides, a little exercise is good for me."

"Sorry, Seymour," Tidus said when Yuna continued hanging on him. "Actually, since you're here... These guys had something they wanted to ask you." Tidus motioned toward the others as he spoke. Seymour looked over at them, smile still in place.

"I assume this has something to do with religion?" he asked.

"There's something we wanted to look for in the historical records. Tidus told us that you could look for us," Mateus explained.

"That would depend on what you are looking for."

"The crystals that gave the gods their powers," Vaan spoke up. "We were wondering if they left this world with the gods, or if they were left behind for any reason."

Seymour thought it over a few moments before saying, "Very well. I'll be back in a few hours. Until then, please keep Yuna entertained." Seymour returned to the temple.

"That went well," Mateus said. The group looked over to Yuna, who was happily spinning in circles while holding Tidus' hands.

"Yuna, stop. You'll make yourself dizzy," Tidus was saying. He was laughing with her, though. That only seemed to encourage her.

"Oh, it's all right. You're here to catch me, anyway." Yuna fell to the side a bit, Tidus catching her. She smiled up at him.

"Fun's over, Yuna. What would the priests say if they saw you like this with someone other than Seymour?"

"The same thing they would've thought if they knew about the three of us before I married Seymour," she responded. Yuna stood fully and looked at the others. "You can stay in the temple until Seymour returns." Yuna went inside and the group followed.

_"Yuna... Why are you pregnant?" Tidus asked. Yuna giggled. _

_"I thought it would be more interesting that way. It was bound to happen eventually," she said. Tidus stared at her, an incredulous expression on his face. "Don't look at me like that, Tidus. Seymour isn't an unsent in the story. I'm just keeping it realistic."_

_Zidane went over to the book and picked up the pencil. He read what Yuna had written and laughed. _

_"She'd be adorable," he said. Still laughing, he went to continue the story. _

Seymour returned that evening with a paper in his hands. Everyone looked over to see what he had to say. Seymour had that same smile on his face, unnerving Vaan. He made his way over to them and handed the paper to Mateus.

"There wasn't much, I'm afraid. Just a few words from a lunatic who claimed to know the Gods," Seymour said. "Now, come along Yuna. I believe you've had enough excitement for one day." Yuna took the hand he offered her, gave the group one last smile, and left.

Mateus looked at the paper. Elegant handwriting adorned it, outlining every word the man had apparently said.

"The Gods have entrusted me with their protection," Mateus read. "The crystals they handed me just this morning contain their lives and will to remain in this world. I can't let the temples have it... Have to put them somewhere safe."

"That's it?" Vaan didn't sound impressed. "That's the only mention of the crystals?"

"Other than that, there's a name. ...Marduk Thompson."

"Well, that's not useful at all," Tidus whined. "The guy's probably dead by now."

Mateus tucked the paper into his pocket and looked at his group. He opened his mouth to speak, but Seymour interrupted him.

"Since it is the evening, why don't you all stay here for the night? It won't be too much trouble, and it's been a while since Yuna had any visitors."

"We shall accept your offer," Mateus said.

He followed Seymour, motioning for the others to follow. As they made their way down the halls, Mateus couldn't help but notice the many doors they passed by.

"There certainly are a lot of rooms here," he said. Seymour tilted his head, glancing over at him.

"Yes, though they are hardly used," he replied. "A few months ago, the people began being untrusting of the church. As a result, the number of people working here has lowered."

"What happened a few months ago?"

"One of our priests seemingly went crazy. He was yelling about how we were keeping secrets from the people... That neither of the gods are on the side of the people..." Seymour's smile was replaced with a frown as he remembered. "We eventually got the situation resolved. Unfortunately, we could do nothing to assure people that we weren't lying to them."

"I've missed a lot, it seems."

"Don't take it too hard. Your mother had a reason for keeping you there, I'm sure." Seymour gave Mateus another smile before turning his attention to the others. "You may stay in these rooms for the night. Yuna will wish to bid you farewell tomorrow, so please stay until she gets the chance to do so." He turned and began leaving. "Have a pleasant night."

"He's not that bad, is he?" Mateus said. The others stared at him.

"Something seemed a little... off about him," Vaan said.

"Well, he went off the deep end a while back." Tidus had a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm just glad he came back to us. ...See you guys in the morning!"

Flashing them a smile, Tidus retreated into his room. The others soon entered their own rooms.


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 10

Everyone was up and in the main hall of the temple before noon. Yuna hurried over to them and threw her arms around Tidus.

"You'll come to see me again, right?" she asked. "You won't die or something, will you?"

"What?" Tidus yelled. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm worried about you," Yuna said. She looked up at him. Tears were in her eyes, which worried Tidus. "I just have a feeling that something bad's going to happen to you, and I'll never see you again."

Tidus couldn't bring himself to tell her that she was being silly. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and promised he'd come back to see her again alive and in one piece. After everyone said all their farewells, the group left Bevelle. Mateus sighed. He had been hoping for a quick adventure, one that didn't involve extras joining up simply because they felt like it. Admittedly, there were only four, including him, but he didn't want this to get out of hand.

"So, Marduk Thompson," he said. "Perhaps we should have asked where to find his family."

"You think?" Vaan said. He was walking beside Mateus, hands on the back of his head. He was looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Well, we could always turn around and ask. Or maybe one of the old people will know." Spotting someone, he ran in their direction. "Excuse me, do you know where we can find Marduk Thompson's family? We need to ask them something, but we don't know where he lives."

The old man looked at Vaan for a good long minute before responding.

"Young man, you shouldn't run 'round in that," he scolded. "You might be givin' people the wrong impression about you."

"What?" Vaan yelled. "No... I need to know if you can tell me where Marduk Thompson's family lives."

The old man was shaking his head saying; "Young people these days. Goin' 'round showin' everythin' to anyone who wants a look." Suddenly he looked up at Vaan's face. "Marduk's family? They're still in Cocoon last I recall."

"Thanks." Vaan ran back to the group. "They live in Cocoon. Anyone know how to get there?"

"Ooh, I know!" Zidane was jumping in place, waving his hand in the air. "We need to go through the Moon flow." His expression dropped. "Of course, we can't-"

"Then we must go to the Moonflow," Mateus said.

"We can't." At the scathing look Mateus gave him, he paused. "It's too dangerous. A few years back, some idiot scientist spilt some kind of toxic stuff into the water. The place's full of monsters and nobody goes near the place."

"Is there another way to Cocoon?"

"Well, there is one way. But that one takes us through an abandoned mineshaft under miles of land. That hasn't been used in at least a decade. Though I suppose you could count various monsters and freaks taking residence there as it being used."

"We shall go to the Moonflow. Which way are we going?" The tone left no room for arguments, no matter how much they wanted to.

Vaguely, Vaan wondered if Mateus had a fear of mines. Or, if he simply didn't care for anyone's safety. With a heavy sigh, he followed the others.

They arrived at the Moonflow hours later. Rather than the beautiful serene river Tidus remembered, it had been altered to what could only be described as a swamp. The water no longer sparkled in the sun. In fact, it was tinted purple. Large gnarled trees stuck out of the water in various groups with few leaves. More dead logs floated on the surface and the small bits of land that jutted out of the water no longer looked as though people could use them as stepping stones. There was an odd lack of buzzing insects, yet plenty of ribbiting frogs. Zidane and Vaan looked to Mateus as Tidus stared in horror at the swamp. Mateus observed the area with the look of a child seeing something new for the first time.

"Mateus?" Vaan started. "You sure you want to cross this? It looks-"

As he was speaking, a loud moaning started up from behind them. Zidane spun around, pulling his daggers out of their sheaths. Tidus and Vaan drew their swords and-

_"Bartz! What the hell are you writing?" Cloud yelled. He had been writing when Bartz came up, peered over his shoulder, shoved him aside, and added onto what he had been writing. _

_"Adding more spice. Honestly, guys. You make it so boring." _

_Cloud left grumbling and Bartz continued writing. _

-prepared for battle.

"Stay out of this, Mateus. We can handle it." Vaan had a determined look in his eyes. He would not allow any harm to come to the mage.

Mateus backed away from the horde, unsure of what he should be doing. A noise from behind grabbed his attention, and he turned. There, not five feet away, were more of the rotting things. The smell was unbearable. The mere fact that they could ambush them in the sorry state they were in said a lot about the comrades. Mateus moved back to the others, bumping into Vaan.

"It would seem they have us surrounded," he said. Vaan looked behind them and groaned.

"We gotta think of a plan, and fast!" he shouted.

_"There." Bartz laid the pencil back next to the book. With a happy, contented smile, he wandered off._

"Well, well. Didn't think I'd see you guys in a place like this." The gruff voice was one they all recognized. Jecht was standing to the side. How the old gnarled branch could hold him was anybody's guess. "Looks like you need some help."

"We don't need any help from _you__!_" Tidus yelled.

Jecht laughed. "You always say that," he taunted. "And you always need my help in the end."

Hefting the greatsword from his back, Jecht jumped down from the tree. He joined the fight, hacking and slashing away at the living corpses. Zidane and Vaan followed suit, glad for the help. Not to be outdone by his comrades, Tidus attacked as well. Mateus did the least fighting. If only because he was so useless. One of his flares had burnt away a portion of the zombies, doing more harm than good. The zombies had simply kept moving. Flaming, this time. A shout from Vaan and Mateus ceased trying to help. He only knew fire-based magic, after all. So he hung back and watched. When all was said and done, Jecht looked at the group.

"Now, I'll be havin' the mage back."

If his extended hand was meant to convince them to hand Mateus over, it wasn't working. Rather, they got between the two.

"You can't have him," Vaan said. "If we hand him to you, you'll just hand him off to someone who only wants to use his power to take over the planet. And you'll probably do it for money."

"Ha!" The amusement on Jecht's face was clear. "You tryin' to tell me you wouldn't have done the same? Poor thief like yourself, one would think you'd want to hand him over."

Vaan didn't know how to respond. He had been going to hand him over to Ultimecia, after all. Sure, he hadn't done it yet but...

"He's mine!" Tidus declared. Jecht laughed once again.

"Yours? Princess like yourself couldn't keep a map, much less a person."

"Princess?" Tidus's face had flushed in anger and embarrassment. "I'm male, you idiot. You should know that!"

"Ha! Princess suits you just fine. You ain't strong, and you can barely handle yourself." Tidus pouted at him. It was the same look that always brought out the softer side of Jecht. Unfortunately, he had never grown immune to it. With a sigh, he submitted. "Fine. Let's see how well you can do. I ain't show it much, but I do have some faith in ya."

Tidus's expression brightened. A smile replaced his pout. "Thanks, Dad."

Jecht allowed himself to appear flustered for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, your mother would want me to have faith in ya."

They both knew it was just an excuse. Tidus had caught on a few years back, when Jecht would use it all the time. Jecht gave the group a wave before setting off away from the Moonflow. Soon after, the group resumed searching for a plan.


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own these characters.

Italicised words are with the writers.

Chapter 11

The swamp truly was disgusting. Bubbles had formed on it's surface, and massive deformed frogs occasionally rose from the murky depths. Mateus stood staring with uncontained disgust on his face. Perhaps he should have gone with the mines... Vaan came up to him.

"Still wanna cross this?" he asked. "Don't know about you, but I'm not too fond of walking through questionable liquids."

"It's water. There's nothing questionable about that." Despite being the one to say it, Mateus didn't look that confident.

"Uhh, Your Majesty," Zidane said. "Water isn't purple. And it doesn't bubble like that for no reason."

"Nonsense. It's fine." Mateus looked back over the water. "We won't need to touch the water. I'm sure there's a way to cross this." He spotted one of the little patches of land and pointed. "Those, for instance. They could provide footing for us."

As the final word left his mouth, a giant bird came to perch on the land. It sat just a few seconds before flying up with a startled cry. The ground beneath it had sank into the boiling purple water. They could only stare as the majestic bird of prey transformed into a hideous, demonic thing. They turned their gazes back to the water.

"Yeah... not going anywhere near that," Tidus said.

"Perhaps we should just try the mines." Vaan's suggestion was seemingly ignored. Mateus stood a few moments longer before turning.

"Very well. It's better than risking that." Mateus gestured to the monstrosity.

Zidane sighed. "Then we better get moving. The mines only have a few entrances, and most of those are being guarded by soldiers. I know of one, but it's a few days away. And we'll have to return to Bevelle before we actually head for the mines. Don't give me that look, Your Majesty. It's not as though we've got a deadline. Taking a few days surely can't be worse than possible death."

"Chaos and Cosmos might decide to go to all-out war with each other though." Vaan said. "Everyone else will get caught up in their battle, forced to fight for one side or the other, and everything'll be destroyed. That could happen with or without Mateus."

"Then maybe we should just go to Palamecia. We can come up with something on the way. Hopefully, the world won't be destroyed and Mateus chooses the right god to side with."

Mateus started leaving. He wasn't sure he wanted to be part of this anymore. Not with everyone trying to abduct him and pass him off to someone else for money. As Zidane just pointed out, he'd have to choose one side or another as well. For all he knew, his plan would fail and he'd be stuck working as an agent for one of the gods.

"Mateus? You okay?" Vaan asked. He came up behind Mateus, laying a hand on his back.

"No. I'm frustrated," Mateus responded. "Everyone's trying to get their hands on me for their own gain, the gods want to use me to win their war, and I can't decide what to do. I thought I should go find those crystals, but now-"

"It's a good idea, Mateus." Vaan was holding his face, looking him in the eyes now. "You just want another choice. Everyone always wants another choice."

"But the crystals might not even be there. Or they will be but we won't be able to have them. If that happens, then..."

"Then we'll just take them." Vaan gave him a smile. "You've got two thieves and the son of a bandit on your side. Those crystals are as good as ours."

Mateus stared at Vaan. The expression of loss was prevalent in his eyes.

"What if they're not even there? We would've done all this for nothing. The man was a lunatic, after all. He could've been-"

Vaan raised his hand and brought it across Mateus's face. A light pink covered the cheek that had been hit.

"Don't talk like that," Vaan scolded. "Even if they don't exist, we'll think of something." Hands on both sides of his face, Vaan pulled Mateus closer to himself. After a light kiss on the stinging mark, Vaan pulled away. "I won't let you be used like that Mateus. The gods'll have to find someone else win their war if that's the case."

Zidane and Tidus looked at each other, but didn't say anything. That was a half-subtle admission of love if they'd ever heard one.

_"Now I'm in love with him?" Vaan yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"_

_"I thought it was fine," Tifa said. "Now let me see..." She picked up the pencil and brought it to her lips. As she thought, she tapped the pencil._

A few days had passed since the swamp. The group had just arrived at one of the many entrances to the mines. They stood staring at the boards for a good few minutes.

"So, which entrance are we at?" Tidus asked.

All eyes on him, Zidane moved forward. Laying his hands on one of the boards, he leaned between two of them. Peering downward, Zidane tried to get a good grasp on their location. A slanted corridor led down from the boarded doorway. Obviously, none of the small lights lining the hall were on. Zidane doubted they would turn on even if they tried. Pulling back, he spoke to the others.

"It's not an entrance I'm used to," he said. "But if we follow it a little ways, I'll get my bearings."

Zidane slipped between the two boards and turned. Tidus followed with Vaan shortly behind him. Mateus looked appalled at the idea.

"There has got to be another way in there," he said. "If you think I'm bending over and squeezing myself between those boards, you are out of your minds."

"The open entrances have gates, Your Majesty," Zidane said. "It's either through here or the swamp. And since we took the last few days getting here and finding this entrance without getting caught, I suggest you use it."

Mateus fidgeted looking at the boards.

"It's not as if you're fat," Tidus said. "There's no reason why you can't fit through there."

With an exaggerated sigh, Vaan moved over to the boards. Reaching between them, he grabbed Mateus's hand. With a yank, he forced Mateus to stumble over to the entrance. The mage hit his head on one of the boards.

"Get through here, or so help me I'll-"

"All right, all right." The moment Vaan released his hand, Mateus bent down. Delicately, he slipped first one hand through, then the other. Pulling himself forward, he soon stood with everyone else.

"Wasn't so hard, was it?" Vaan grabbed his hand once again. The group started down the corridor.

Mateus wasn't certain what to make of Vaan leading him by the hand. On one side, he enjoyed having the other's hand there. On the other, he wasn't a child that needed to be led everywhere.

"I'm holding your hand so you don't manage to get yourself lost," Vaan stated. "I've come too far for you to get lost in some mine where we can't find you."

"You would be able to find me."

"Actually, these corridors turn into a maze once we get farther in," Zidane spoke up. "So, it would be easy for you to get lost. Knowing your luck, you'd end up kidnapped again. Or killed."


End file.
